Elizabeth Webber (General Hospital)
| first = | years = 1997— | creator = Janet Iacobuzio Christopher Whitesell | introducer = Wendy Riche | portrayer = Rebecca Herbst | books = The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli | spinoffs = General Hospital: Night Shift | classification = Present, regular | occupation = Surgical nurse Waitress Artist Deception model | residence = Queen's Pointe Suburb 458 Lexington Avenue Port Charles, New York | family = Hardy Webber | father = Jeff Webber | halfbrothers = Steven Webber | sisters = Sarah Webber | uncles = | aunts = Terri Webber | cousins = | spouse = Ric Lansing (2003–04) Lucky Spencer (2005–07) | sons = | grandparents = Steve Hardy Helene Webber | relatives = Audrey Hardy }} Elizabeth Imogene Webber (formerly Lansing and Spencer) is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital. Elizabeth is the granddaughter of Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino), the long-running original lead character of the series. Rebecca Herbst has played the contract role since August 1, 1997. Elizabeth is part of two supercouple pairings. She shares these titles with Lucky Spencer and Jason Morgan. Casting Rebecca Herbst originally auditioned for the role of Sarah Webber. Although she did not get the part, General Hospital created the role of Sarah's sister Elizabeth for Herbst to play, and she debuted on August 1, 1997. Rumors circulated about Herbst's departure, starting when her on-screen love interest Jonathan Jackson (Lucky Spencer) left the series in April 1999, continuing through Herbst's contract expiration in the summer of 2000. Herbst resigned in July for three years. In November, Herbst guest starred along with Jacob Young (then-Lucky Spencer) and Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie Spencer) on the FOX network sketch comedy series MADtv, making a small cameo as Elizabeth. On January 18, 2011, ABC Daytime announced that Herbst had been let go from General Hospital and her exit would be storyline dictated. After much fan protest, a month after the original announcement, ABC released another statement saying that Herbst would retain her role on the show. Richard M. Simms, executive editor of Soaps In Depth discussed the fans' impact on reversal, stating: }} In May 2011, it was confirmed that Herbst would take medical leave, due to viral meningitis. The role was temporarily portrayed by actress Martha Madison, known for her role as Belle Black on Days of our Lives, from June 8–20, 2011. In March 2012, it was confirmed by Soap Opera Digest that Herbst had renewed her contract to continue performing in her role as Elizabeth. Storylines Elizabeth arrives in August 1997 to stay with her grandmother, Audrey Hardy (Rachel Ames), and her sister, Sarah Webber (then Jennifer Sky). She quickly develops a crush on Lucky Spencer (then Jonathan Jackson), but Lucky is interested in her sister, Sarah. On Valentine's Day 1998, Elizabeth is raped and Lucky helps her recover. They become close and eventually fall in love, exchanging vows by themselves on Valentine's Day in 1999. In April, Lucky is presumed dead, and later that year Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) helps her deal with her loss. In 2000, Lucky (then Jacob Young) is found alive, but pushes away his parents and Elizabeth. It is soon evident he has been brainwashed. In 2001, Lucky proposes to Elizabeth in an effort to fight the mind control, but Helena removes Lucky's memories of love for Elizabeth. Elizabeth fakes her death to help Nikolas Cassadine (then Coltin Scott) prove his loyalty to Helena, and Lucky's visions of Elizabeth help him stop Helena's control. In December, Elizabeth stops their wedding when she realizes Lucky has been unable to regain his love for her. They try to start over but struggle, and Elizabeth breaks up with him after she finds him kissing her sister Sarah (then Sarah Laine). Elizabeth is kidnapped and locked in a crypt, and Zander Smith (Chad Brannon) gets trapped with her. They set off a gas leak, and become intimate when they think they are going to die. Elizabeth tries dating Jason, but ends things when Jason lies to her. Elizabeth falls in love with Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) and they marry after she gets pregnant. Elizabeth miscarries, which Ric blames on his brother, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard). He kidnaps Carly Corinthos (then Tamara Braun) in a panic room in an attempt to steal their unborn child. Elizabeth divorces Ric and sleeps with Zander, becoming pregnant. She and Ric reconcile; he agrees to raise the child and they remarry. Elizabeth divorces Ric again when she realizes he will not give up his obsession with Sonny. Zander dies in a police shootout. Elizabeth gives birth to a son named Cameron and becomes a nurse. In 2004, Elizabeth and Lucky (then Greg Vaughan) help Nikolas (then Tyler Christopher) and Emily Quartermaine (then Natalia Livingston) evade Helena, and get back together in 2005. Their financial struggles prompt Elizabeth to become a surrogate mother for Courtney Matthews (Alicia Leigh Willis) and Jasper Jacks (Ingo Rademacher), which upsets Lucky, but Elizabeth miscarries. They marry in October 2005 and Lucky becomes a father figure to Cameron. They get in a train accident on their way to their honeymoon, and Lucky almost dies. In April 2006, Lucky has a serious back injury while trying to save Elizabeth from Manny Ruiz (Robert LaSardo). He becomes addicted to painkillers and has an affair with Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms). Elizabeth walks in on them, and sleeps with Jason, becoming pregnant. She lets Lucky believe he is the father to avoid him relapsing. They divorce, but remarry after Lucky completes rehab. In May 2007, Elizabeth gives birth to Jacob Spencer. Her relationship with Jason makes Lucky jealous, and their marriage falls apart. In November, Lucky discovers the truth about Jake but agrees to keep the secret to protect him. After Emily's death, Jason and Elizabeth begin a secret relationship and briefly become engaged, but Jason decides his life is too dangerous and ends things. In early 2009, Elizabeth is poisoned by a biotoxin and Lucky stays by her bedside. When Lucky dates Rebecca Shaw (Natalia Livingston), Nikolas kisses Elizabeth to make them jealous. This prompts Lucky to reconcile with Elizabeth, but Elizabeth is attracted to Nikolas and sleeps with him the night she accepts Lucky's proposal. They continue to have an affair, and eventually Lucky (reprised by Jackson) confronts and berates them in January 2010. On Valentine's Day, Lucky finds Elizabeth passed out from hypothermia, and they learn she is pregnant. Elizabeth has to be talked down off the roof by Lucky, and is sent to Shadybrook sanatorium. Helena switches the DNA test results to say Nikolas is the father, and he unsuccessfully tries to pressure Elizabeth into moving in with him. In July, she gives birth to Aiden, who is kidnapped by Franco (James Franco) before Lucky finds him. In 2011, Elizabeth learns Lucky is Aiden's father, but keeps the secret after Jake is in a hit-and-run accident and dies. Elizabeth has to be convinced by Lucky and Jason to allow his kidney to be donated to Josslyn Jacks. She tries to tell Lucky about Aiden but stops when she sees he is happy at his green card wedding to Siobhan McKenna (Erin Chambers). When Lucky burns down the Spencer house and accidentally injuries Siobhan, Elizabeth tells him the truth to stop him from drinking. Nikolas does not believe her and briefly plans to take Aiden out of the country before returning him and leaving town. During Siobhan's surgery, Elizabeth mistakenly administers the wrong medication, causing tension when Siobhan believes it was intentional. Lucky takes on an undercover drug case and is injected with drugs by order of Anthony Zacchara (Bruce Weitz). Elizabeth finds him, but on her way to get medication she gets in a car accident that puts Siobhan in the hospital. Siobhan is killed by Anthony, causing Lucky to struggle with his addiction. Elizabeth attempts to reconcile with Lucky, but he refuses and leaves town. Elizabeth accompanies Matt Hunter (Jason Cook) to a boat party where Lisa Niles (Brianna Brown) throws her overboard and a mysterious man saves her. Lucky returns home as Aiden is diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. Once he recovers, Elizabeth fakes a breakdown to get Lucky's attention, and when he realizes the truth he leaves town again. Elizabeth eventually starts dating Dr. Ewen Keenan (Nathin Butler). In September 2012, Ewen is revealed to be working with Jerry Jacks (Sebastian Roche), who is poisoning the water supply. Ewen kidnaps Elizabeth but Jason saves her and kills Ewen. Elizabeth attempts to reconcile with Jason, but he says they do not have a future together. Elizabeth interferes with Jason's efforts to find Sam's baby in an attempt to get him back, but then tells him the truth. Meanwhile, Elizabeth helps student nurse Sabrina Santiago (Teresa Castillo) plan the resurrection of the Nurses' Ball. When A.J. Quartermaine (Sean Kanan) turns up in town, Elizabeth is initially hesitant of his return from the dead for Emily's sake, but the two eventually form a relationship and start dating. Character development Elizabeth is introduced as the granddaughter of Steve Hardy, one of the original General Hospital core characters. She is the daughter of Jeff Webber and an unnamed mother, and the sister of Sarah Webber and half-sister of Steven Webber. At age fifteen, she arrives in Port Charles in August 1997 to stay with her grandmother, Audrey Hardy (Ames), the stepmother of Jeff. She follows her sister Sarah (then Sky), who had come to live with Audrey a few months prior. Elizabeth and Sarah had grown up in Boulder, Colorado and their parents left the country to work as doctors. Elizabeth is initially characterized as a rebellious teenager, who complains about having to be compared to her perfect sister. Herbst reflected in 1999 on her character's introduction: "In the past year she (was) a smart-ass child with no respect for anybody, who was out to get everyone. But that is because she was hurt since her parents pretty much abandoned her. So her frustration, anger and snottiness came from being misguided." Elizabeth's character drastically changes after she is raped in February 1998. Following the assault, she becomes timid and scared, not wanting to leave the house. The teenager's innocence is lost. Lucky (then Jackson) is one of the only people she opens up to, and he helps her to slowly recover. Elizabeth goes through the stages of denial, anger, and eventual acceptance. Although she heals, her character is never the same. Herbst explained in 1999: "Ever since her trauma, Liz has matured more and my character has evolved as a result. She's not evil anymore and her growth since I've been on the show makes playing her today give me many challenges as an actor. (...) I think the writers have done a great job in making Liz not a victim but a fighter and showing that, while this was a terrible experience nobody should go through, she will get through this in time and go on with her life." Elizabeth grows in a positive way, and is a stronger person as a result. Soap Opera Weekly stated in November 1998: "After the initial shock of the attack wore off, and with support – mostly from Lucky – the best parts of the 'old' Liz resurfaced: her spirit, her determination, her innate smarts. But for the first time, Liz also showed herself as a person of untapped virtue and considerable substance." Reception and impact Rape The storyline of Elizabeth's rape was initially controversial, but the story of her recovery had a positive reception and received critical acclaim. Victims of abuse stated that the story helped them to heal, and wrote letters of praise to the show. Viewers related to Elizabeth; Herbst stated to Soap Opera Weekly in 1998: }} Herbst commented to Soap Opera News that she was glad to be helping others, and that the story helped her to be more aware herself as well as better understand the process of recovery. She was seen as a role model to female viewers. The storyline won General Hospital a SHINE Award (Sexual Health IN Entertainment) in 1998. Both Herbst and Jackson received praise for their portrayals throughout Elizabeth's recovery. Herbst received praise for scenes where Elizabeth confronted her suspected rapist and later on when she confronted her actual rapist. Soap Opera Magazine named Herbst Star of the Week in October 1998 when Elizabeth confronted her teacher, mistakenly believing him to be her rapist. Of the latter, Soap Opera News described: "We felt each transition in Liz's thoughts and feelings. We felt her fear. Then we felt her anger. Then we felt her take control over the situation. We experienced each experience with her. A television set no longer existed. The audience was in that photo studio, standing beside her, repulsed by this man." Romance Within Herbst's first year on the series, her character entered into a relationship with Lucky Spencer that was soon called a supercouple, compared to Lucky's legendary parents Luke and Laura. Lucky and Elizabeth's romantic relationship took place gradually during Elizabeth's recovery from being raped. Viewers responded positively to the slow pacing, and the couple was perceived as honest and innocent, something unique among soap opera couples at the time. The couple's first kiss happened months into the relationship, and was anticipated and celebrated by fans. The series used the popular teen characters in an attempt to reach young viewers with a social message through Lucky and Elizabeth's decision to abstain from sex. Executive producer at the time Wendy Riche explained her desire to show the decisions and pressures teenagers face, stating to Soap Opera Weekly: "We have the opportunity with these beloved characters who have struggled together and who have loved together and who are exploring sexuality together to reach an audience that doesn't really want to be preached to, but wants to feel it." In 2008, Lucky and Elizabeth were named No. 9 by Soaps In Depth of the Top 100 Greatest Couples of ABC Daytime. Elizabeth's relationship with Jason Morgan intertwined with her relationship with Lucky, and although Elizabeth and Jason were never paired on-screen for a long period of time, the couple's fan base was very vocal. They were named by Zap2it to their Top 10 list of couples in 2007, 2008 and 2012. In 2008, they were named No. 12 by Soaps In Depth of the Top 100 Greatest Couples of ABC Daytime. The couple rivaled the supercouple pairing of Jason Morgan and Sam McCall, and in 2007 Zap2it stated, "without question Liz vs. Sam is the biggest rivalry in daytime." In 2010, Herbst commented on the fans' impact on the couple: }} Awards In 1999, Herbst won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress, as well as an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress. In 2000, Soap Opera Update named Herbst No. 6 on their list of Woman of 2000. Herbst was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2007 and 2012. Elizabeth was named one of the "Hottest Nurses on TV" by Wet Paint, saying "Over the years, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) suffered the usual ups and downs that come with living in the General Hospital universe. Through it all she managed to hold onto her job (most of the time), and she never lost the sultry beauty that defines all the greatest soap stars."name="The 10 Hottest TV Nurses"> See also * Lucky Spencer and Elizabeth Webber * Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Webber Notes References External links * Elizabeth Webber @ ABC.com * Profile at soapcentral.com * Profile at about.com Category:General Hospital characters Category:General Hospital: Night Shift characters Category:Fictional nurses Category:Fictional artists Category:Fictional waiting staff Category:Fictional models Category:Fictional sexual assault victims Category:Fictional characters introduced in 1997